Conventionally, to notify a user of the various status of an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine or facsimile apparatus, various types of display are performed on the display unit of an operation panel provided for the apparatus body.
In one system, a host computer is connected to these apparatuses to allow a user to display the status of each apparatus on the display unit of the host computer by using unique application software installed in the host computer without going to the apparatus.
Recently, attempts have been made to develop multifunction apparatuses by, for example, realizing a plurality of functions, e.g., copier, printer, and facsimile functions, in a single apparatus. To notify the user of the status of such an apparatus by displaying it on a host computer, complicated software to be installed in the host computer must be designed. In addition, every time the arrangement of the apparatus is changed, new software must be designed on the host computer side, demanding enormous efforts.
Furthermore, the user must launch different types of application software for the respective apparatuses, requiring cumbersome operation and imposing a heavy load on the host computer.
Moreover, when the user makes various settings in apparatuses or giving various operation instructions to them, he/she must learn different operation methods for the respective apparatuses. The user may experience difficulty in learning the methods.